NEW DELHI: Weeks after the Supreme Court’s whiplash against the government’s failure to clear 70 collegium recommendations for promotion/transfer in the higher judiciary, the Centre on Monday told the bench that almost all of them will be notified shortly, including the appointment of the Manipur High Court Chief Justice.
“We are processing them and will try to finish it before the October vacation. Will have to speak with the consultee judges,” the Centre informed the bench. A bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia was hearing two pleas, including one moved by the Advocates Association of Bengaluru seeking contempt action against the law ministry for not following the timeline set by the court.
“Appointment of chief justice to the high court of a sensitive state has finally received their attention and they are doing it now,” the bench said. Calling it a positive development, the bench said almost 70 names for appointment and transfers recommended by various high court collegiums, which were pending with the ministry since November 2022 have finally landed before the SC’s collegium. It will start processing them immediately.
On July 5, the SC collegium had recommended the appointment of Delhi High Court judge Siddharth Mridul as the chief justice of the Manipur High Court, amid the ethnic turmoil in the state. On the issue of transfer of 26 high court judges, the bench noted that “the files in 14 cases have been cleared and notifications will be issued shortly”. As for the remaining 12, they are stated to be under process, the bench said.